1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a molten dielectric capacitor energy storage system for use in connection with storing and providing power to a load with increased capacitor permittivity, also known as dielectric constant.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Molten dielectric capacitor energy storage systems are desirable for use in electrically powered vehicles because of their quick charge and discharge cycles, their high charge and discharge efficiency, their no charge memory effect, and that they are solid state devices with no electrochemical reaction as in a battery.
The use of capacitors is known in the prior art. For example: U.S. Pat. No. 3,825,802; U.S. Pat. No. 3,279,030; U.S. Pat. No. 6,292,355; U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,365; U.S. Pat. No. 3,506,887; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,639,164.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a molten dielectric capacitor energy storage system that allows for the storing and providing of power to a load with increased capacitor permittivity and dielectric constant.
The present capacitor systems are not feasible power storage solutions for electrically powered vehicles because of their low mass and volume energy densities (KWHr/Kg and KWHr/liter). This problem is caused by the lack of dielectric material with a high energy storage capacity. Present capacitors commonly use Barium titanate as the dielectric material, which has a relative permittivity or dielectric constant of 1250 to 10,000 at 20°-120° C. respectively. Using standard and present day capacitors to power an electrical vehicle would result in large, heavy capacitors relative to the amount of energy they can store and provide. High capacity capacitors such as the one manufactured by EEstor have a dielectric material with a relative permittivity of 18,500. It can be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the current high capacity capacitors do not have the relative permittivity too effectively and efficiently provide and store energy to power an electric vehicle. Additionally, the energy storage in a dielectric is the product of the breakdown voltage squared, multiplied by the dielectric constant. The capacitor from EEstor obtains its high storage density by improving the breakdown voltage, not by increasing the dielectric constant as described herewith in the present invention.
It is well known in the industry that most commonly available capacitors are designed and rated to operate at or near room temperatures, with their dielectric materials designed to be a solid during normal operation.
A need exists for a new and improved molten dielectric capacitor energy storage system that can be used for storing and providing power to a load with increased capacitor permittivity and dielectric constant. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. In this respect, the molten dielectric capacitor energy storage system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of storing and providing power to a load with increased capacitor permittivity and dielectric constant.